Friend of Friends Friday: Christmas Eve Murder of George Green

This Saturday, Ben Lomond Historic Site's Holiday Tour will include counts of How Slaves Spent Christmas.  

One especially grim tale of Christmas involves the 1856 murder of cruel slave owner, George Green, that made national news.

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Boston Herald (Boston, MA)
January 5, 1857

THE MURDER IN VIRGINIA.  The Alexandria Gazette gives the following particulars of the murder of Mr. George Green, in Prince William county, Va, on the night before Christmas: --

"He was in his house when it was entered by three negro women, a young negro man, and a negro boy, all of whom attacked Mr. G., but he kept them off.  During the attack he was struck by the oldest of the women (said to be aged about sixty years) with an axe, which Mr. Green succeeded in taking from her, and with which he defended himself for some time, but was finally overpowered and the axe taken from him, when he made his escape from the house, but was pursued and overtaken by the negroes about 150 yards from the house, and killed.

His body was then taken back into the house, and the house set fire to and burned down.  Mr. G.'s watch, and other articles which he had on his person at the time, were not stolen, but were found with his remains.  The negroes, after committing this diabolical and henious atrocity, went to their quarters, and when the neighbors arrived pretended to be asleep.  Traces of blood were discovered, and suspicion was immediate aroused, and when they were charged with having committed the crime, they made full confession, and were taken into custody, and at once committed to jail.  Mr. Green resided by himself."

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New-Bedford Mercury (New Bedford, MA)
February 27, 1857

Three of the five negroes who recently murdered Mr. Green, in Prince William county, V[a]., were hung on Friday last.  The three consisted of the mother, aged 65, and a son and daughter.  Two others, sons of the same woman, were respited.  About 1,000 spectators were present.